Dona’ Gillon’s paintings hover between abstraction and figuration, the visible and the invisible. Freed from classical perspective and guided by instinct, the artist reveals and conceals evocative motifs through multiple layers of acrylic. Layer upon layer, Gillon makes the world a little more beautiful. "I don't want to throw things in your face," she says. However, she does like a positive, cheerful and even childlike vibe. But beneath the playful layers of paint and trompe-l’oeils, there is often something sharper—like a father who passed away nearly ten years ago and now and then surfaces, in the form of a solid triumphal arch, yet floating, because he is no longer here. The pieces of collage paper the artist has been collecting since she was 12 years old. The striped papers are like a caring bandage, taking you on a beach chair to a carefree summer day by the sea. Gillon paints things the way she sees them—with her cheerful, childlike eye. Gillon’s dreamy universe is a safe haven, not only for the artist herself, but also for the viewer. The motifs she captures from fleeting dreams, hazy memories, and passing stories are given time and space to linger a little longer in her crystallized world.
A motley mishmash, as in a cosy messy nursery, brimming with fantasy. This is how you can interpret 'méli-mélo', which is the title Dona' Gillon has given to the duo exhibition showing some of her own work and work by Ellen Meers. Numerous mysterious motifs pop up in the expo, recognisable but somewhat elusive. They take you on a colourful journey along memories, dreams and stories, mostly from childhood.
The childlike naïve depiction of objects floating in a timeless eternity is what connects Gillon’s and Meers’ works. Motifs from one body of work occasionally echo in the other. Archetypal symbols that seem to be shared by all our stories? They appear to speak directly to our subconscious.